The owners of Melbourne's historically and culturally significant Nicholas Building (Cnr of Swanston St. and Flinders Lane) are planning to get rid of the lift attendants and replace their lifts with automatic lifts. The attendants and their wildly decorated lifts are famous internationally. They are some of the only lift attendants remaining in Australia and apparently the last in Melbourne. Work is planned to commence on replacing the lifts mid-February 2012.
For more information on the significance of the lifts and the building in general see:
Lawrence Mooney in The Age:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/mcqueen-of-melbournes-movers-and-shakers-20091117-ikcw.html
Ben Eltham in Meanjin:
http://meanjin.com.au/editions/volume-69-number-3-2010/article/the-nicholas-building-a-user-s-manual/
Joan the lift attendant:
www.vimeo.com/6958648
Victorian Tourism Dept.:
http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Melbourne/Destinations/City-precincts/Laneways/Vertical-laneways.aspx
Frankie Magazine:
www.isobelknowles.com/stills/_news/frankie.pdf
Jetstar Magazine:
http://www.jetstarmag.com/story/art-in-the-city/1133/1/